In a November conversation caught on an FBI wiretap, Roland Burris promised Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s brother that he’d write the governor a campaign check by mid-December, Burris’ lawyer said today.
That was about a month before Rod Blagojevich appointed Burris to the U.S. Senate. […]
But lawyer Timothy Wright told the Chicago Sun-Times today that his client never sent the check because he believed it wasn’t a good idea given Burris’ interest in the U.S. Senate seat appointment. Wright said Burris’ decision not to send the check had nothing to do with Blagojevich’s Dec. 9 arrest.
Burris did not mention a promise of a check in a Feb. 4 sworn affidavit that Burris submitted to an Illinois House panel investigating Rod Blagojevich’s impeachment. That affidavit sought to supplement Burris’ testimony before a House panel, where Burris only mentioned having contact with Lon Monk with regard to the appointment.
But Wright said the amount of the check was to be $1,500. The conversation with Robert Blagojevich happened when Burris was interested in the U.S. Senate. Wright said Burris’ answers to the House panel have been consistent, and he has made repeated efforts to be as complete as possible to the public.
We’ve heard what Patrick Collins, Governor Quinn, Speaker Madigan, President Cullerton, Leader Cross, Leader Radogno, Rich Miller, and Mike “Waah waah waah” Jacobs (D-East Moline) have had to say about this year’s reform movement. But what do YOU think?
Let’s put it to a poll question.
Governor Quinn’s Pat Collins-led Illinois Reform Commission has proposed a series of reforms for Illinois government and politics. Among those reforms are 9 reforms to campaign finance:
1) Requiring year-round, real-time submission of campaign disclosure filings
2) Requiring disclosure of campaign contribution “bundlers”
3) Requiring greater disclosure of those making independent expenditures on behalf of a campaign
4) Imposing limits on contributions to political campaigns from all sources
5) Banning campaign contributions from lobbyists and trusts, and extending bans on contributions from state employees, entities seeking state contracts and entities engaged in regulated industries
6) Holding primary elections in June
7) Enacting a pilot project for public financing of judicial elections in 2010, with an eye toward expanding the program to elections of statewide legislative officials and Constitutional posts
8) Enhancing powers of the Illinois State Board of Elections
9) Creating more robust discovery and enforcement mechanisms
Please take the poll and see what your fellow Capitol Fax readers think.
* Potential Democratic US Senate candidate Chris Kennedy just called and said it was “physically impossible” for him to make any announcement about his US Senate race this week. Apparently, others are jumping the gun here.
Also, a widespread rumor that Kennedy would announce tomorrow via online video is false, Kennedy claimed.
* Senate President John Cullerton was just asked about what happened in today’s leaders meeting with the governor. His answer? “We talked about Capitol Fax.” lol [Audio via Dave at IRN. Thanks much.]
* House Speaker Michael Madigan was also asked about progress at the meeting. “Nothing’s decided,” he said. Asked whether that was good or bad, Madigan said, “You tell me.” Video via Patterson…
* The infamous Grover Norquist was at the Statehouse today to talk about the budget…
Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, said the state’s shortfall results from politicians’ over-spending and financial mismanagement and isn’t taxpayers’ problem to solve - it’s lawmakers’ responsibility.
• Spending growth: Elementary-secondary education and medical assistance are the only major program areas that have seen significant spending growth since FY 2000. Over the same period of time, funding for human services, higher education, and most other parts of the General Funds budget has not kept pace with inflation. […]
• Understanding the deficit: Almost 60 percent of the $12.3 billion budget gap reflects declining revenues caused by the recession. Most of the remainder is related to the structural deficit — increased payments for state retirement systems and the backlog of unpaid Medicaid bills.
* Thanks to a commenter, here are a couple of quotes we missed earlier today…
Patrick Collins, head of the reform commission, took umbrage when the senate committee rejected the commission”s proposals but unanimously approved of a reform measure sponsored by state Sen. Dan Kotowski, D-Park Ridge.
“I asked my commissioners to change their lives to engage in this process for 100 days. I am not going to participate in a process like the one that happened in there. If any of you think that”s a fair process, that”s wrong,” Collins said.
A committee killed some bills that a large number of people worked months or even years to pass because they believed the measures were vitally important to the state’s future. Happens every day. Literally.
Sen. Mike Jacobs (D-East Moline) responded…
“All I can say is ‘Waah waah waah, I want my Mommy,’” Jacobs jokingly sobbed.
“For him to think that we should drop whatever we”re doing to make sure he gets whatever he wants is amazing. Patrick Collins ought to learn that this is a give-and-take process. You just don”t get whatever you want.”
Yowza, man. Everybody really needs to take a breath here.
Then Tweedy took a crucial step in Wilco’s evolution: he hired Jay Bennett as the band’s permanent guitarist. Bennett’s prior work in the Champaign-based Titanic Love Affair didn’t presage the impact he would have on Wilco, but over time he has become Jiminy Cricket to Tweedy’s Pinocchio: as a constant advocate of the limitless possibilities of the studio and as an adventurous arranger, he seems to have given Tweedy the confidence to explore his own talent in the broader realm of rock ‘n’ roll. In Bennett’s absence, as in the roots-rock stuporgroup Golden Smog, Tweedy has been prone to the predictable (”Lost Love,” from the Smog’s 1998 disc Weird Tales) and the pedestrian (”Please Tell My Brother”).
Lawmakers had to pass three bills to make the capital program go — one to issue bonds, one to raise revenue to pay off those bonds and one that detailed the projects to be built. The bill to raise revenue included authorizing video poker, extending the sales tax to things like candy that are not now taxed, hiking some vehicle fees and whatnot. Hey, you want new roads and school buildings, you’ve got to pay for it somehow.
Unless, of course, you are a member of the Hypocrites’ Caucus. They want to be on record as bringing the pork back to their districts, but not for raising the taxes and fees to pay for it. Membership in the caucus changes with issues.
For the capital plan, though, the group consists of 12 senators and 30 representatives. They are the Few, the Proud, the Two-faced. They voted against video poker and the other revenue increases, but all of them were right on board to support the list of building projects. No one in either the House or Senate voted against the spending bill.
It’s always fun when a majority of this caucus turn out to be Republicans, people who normally complain about government spending money it doesn’t have, but who apparently are willing to look the other way in this case.
* The Question: Should legislators who vote against the revenue streams to fund capital bills and then vote for the spending be somehow excluded or penalized on projects for their districts? Explain fully.
Asked specifically about whether he had left members of his Illinois Reform Commission to find their own way with lawmakers reluctant to embrace their proposals, Quinn didn’t mention perhaps the most controversial recommendation from his panel—imposing first-ever campaign donation caps. Instead, he discussed a reform that his panel didn’t even embrace—a proposed state Constitutional amendment to allow voters to recall elected officials.
“One of the big issues this week…that I’ve been working night and day on in ethics is getting recall in Illinois, getting the power of recall,” Quinn said. “I think it’s promising. I’ve talked to the legislative leaders.”
But recall hasn’t been on the legislature’s agenda for the spring session, which is scheduled to end May 31. Voters would have to ratify a recall amendment and no state elections are scheduled until next year. Election years also are when lawmakers typically consider proposed changes to the constitution.
“For the legislature to turn around and say, ‘We are going to raise your taxes, trust us,’ without doing anything to show they have cleaned up their own house is a very dangerous proposition,” said Cynthia Canary, director of the Illinois Coalition for Political Reform.
That’s a very dangerous game she wants to play. Putting the fate of millions of Illinoisans on the line to “win” a debate over something like campaign caps is audacious in the extreme.
* Speaking of dangerous games, Democratic state Rep. Lou Lang has put a parliamentary hold on the capital projects package because the governor has flip-flopped on his pledge not to link capital with the budget…
“The governor made public and private assurances that the capital bill and operating budget bill would not be linked, and he’d totally signed on to the capital bill and would sign it,” Lang said. “He is now indicating that is not his plan, that his plan is to hold the capital bill hostage. My view is he has backtracked on a commitment. If he doesn’t want the bill, he shouldn’t have it. When he’s ready to have it, he can have it.”
[Madigan spokesman Steve Brown] added: “The governor flip-flopped, spoke out of both sides of his mouth. He promised . . . he wouldn’t link the issues and did something different. That’s got to be troubling to everybody who has tried to deal with the integrity crisis as fully as possible.”
In other words, Quinn’s political honeymoon now appears over.
But the governor’s move may have been more about high speed rail than the budget or the ethics bills…
“Right now, we do not have in our capital bill money for high-speed rail,” Quinn said. “I think that was an oversight, and I made that crystal clear to the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House that high-speed rail must be included.”
Quinn wants that capital bill reopened. He didn’t attend the meetings when the bill was drafted, and there’s an old saying in politics, “If you’re not sitting at the table, you’re the supper.” He got eated.
* Reform commission chairman Pat Collins was upset last week with the Senate for refusing to take action on some of the commission’s pet ideas…
Lawmakers spoke strongly against a proposal allowing state’s attorneys to wiretap suspects in official corruption cases, but also for crimes as minor as music piracy. State Sen. Bill Haine, a former state’s attorney, said he was worried elected prosecutors would use these powers against political opponents. […]
But reform commission head Patrick Collins said he used wiretapping extensively as a federal prosecutor and state’s attorneys need the same powers. “In the right case, having the ability to do a wiretap will be the difference between ensnaring a corrupt official versus not charging that official,” Collins said.
Patrick Collins, the head of a panel Gov. Pat Quinn created to clean up state government, was remarkably angry and visibly shaking at a news conference following the committee hearing. Collins hinted that lawmakers were trying to pass token reforms rather than address large-scale anti-corruption measures.
“Maybe this happens every day in Springfield,” Collins said. “I’m not used to that.'’
Welcome to our world.
But a call by Sen. Bill Brady for an attorney general’s investigation of Gov. Quinn’s fundraising during the end of session shows the real problems with the reform commission’s plan…
Beyond the political opportunism behind Brady’s bashing, his call for an investigation does pose an interesting issue, however. Lisa Madigan, the daughter of powerful House Speaker Michael Madigan, is interested in challenging Quinn in next year’s Democratic primary for governor. In her current post, any investigation of allegations of wrongdoing involving Quinn could be attacked by critics as purely politically motivated.
Indeed, that’s one problem that lawmakers have acknowledged in dealing with the current spate of ethics reform proposals in Springfield. Legislators have trashed efforts to give local prosecutors and the attorney general’s office more tools to investigate corruption—out of concern that those investigations could be conducted against political opponents.
Indeed. Some of the reform commission’s ideas are quite good. Others, like that one, defy reality.
Several association executives with Springfield lobbying interests said last week that they’ve recently received calls from Quinn’s campaign. Some have big-ticket items that could be chopped out of the budget during the deficit crisis. All have significant issues pending in the General Assembly, pro and con.
“We turned them down,” said one high-level exec about the campaign calls.
The executive explained that his group does not contribute or discuss contributions during the legislative session.
Ironically enough, several associations - which have been targeted for campaign contribution limits by the governor’s reform commission - do not contribute during the end of session.
Also on the ironic side, $15,000 is far above the campaign contribution limits sought by Quinn and his reform commission, although these appear to be requests for “bundled”contributions from several different people at once.
And that $15,000 asking price clearly demonstrates how politicians - even self-professed reformers like Quinn - intend to get around any new contribution caps.
Any reformer who tells you their plan would get money out of politics by imposing caps on contributions doesn’t live in the real world.
* Quinn looks to future, remembers past: Asked whether he has the skill to seal deals with legislators, Quinn said, “Everybody has a different style. I don’t believe in ’smashmouth’ politics. It didn’t work for my predecessor.”
*** UPDATE - 11:23 am *** Fine, but the tapes should also be released to the general public….
A federal judge today authorized the release of audio tapes of secret recordings of coversations between U.S. Sen. Roland Burris and former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s brother to a Senate ethics committee. […]
Before the hearing, [Burris’ criminal lawyer, Timothy Wright] said, “the truth will finally come out,’’ in an apparent reference to recordings that took place last November and involve discussions between Friends of Blagojevich campaign fund chair Robert Blagojevich and Burris regarding fund-raising for the ex-governor.
Timothy Wright, a lawyer for Burris, said he also did not object to the release and said he believed the tape would show Burris did nothing wrong. “We think it is what it is,” Wright said. “The truth is coming out. We think it helps to vindicate the senator.”
*** UPDATE - 11:59 am *** The tape may be released to the public after all. From the US Attorney’s office..
When a formal order is issued regarding today’s proceedings and any materials are publicly docketed, the Government will make available any of its filings and materials that are ordered unsealed. There is no estimate available of when this will occur.
[ *** End of Updates *** ]
* Is Roland Burris beginning to see reality? Maybe, maybe not…
Burris wants to jump in the 2010 election, despite longshot odds. Durbin will not support him. The Senate Democratic political operation is trying to recruit Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to run. On the day we talked — May 19 — Burris met with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to discuss his political future. Earlier, he conferred with Sen. Robert Menendez, the chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. And the day before — May 18 — Burris called on William Daley.
“My impression is he is going to be a candidate,” Daley told me. […]
I asked Burris about his timetable for deciding if he will run.
“Lynn . . . if you don’t have money, whether or not you say you are going to run is not relevant. . . . You take away your option.”
That last quote was probably the most sense I’ve heard from Burris since he was appointed by Rod Blagojevich. Then again, it might’ve just been a momentary lapse into reason.
The NRSC chairman also mentioned Chicago-area Rep. Mark Kirk, a social issues moderate, as a strong candidate against Burris (who faces a stiff primary challenge from businessman Christopher Kennedy, son of the late Robert Kennedy).
“But if Mark doesn’t run, there are other possible strong candidates,” he said. (Although Cornyn gave no name, sources in the Illinois GOP suggested to me he was referring to Steve Preston, Housing and Urban Development secretary under George W. Bush).
* Related…
* Roland Burris In St. Louis Area Talking About The Stimulus Package
* Attorney Gen. Madigan objects to Chrysler sale: Ms. Madigan filed her objection on behalf of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission and the Illinois Self-Insurers Advisory Board. She opposes the sale to Fiat SpA if it fails to set aside monetary provisions for injured Chrysler workers in Illinois.
* The Ohio Senate is considering a $54 billion two-year budget passed by the House that was balanced by cutting education spending by $244 million, depleting the state’s reserves of $1 billion and incorporating $2.2 billion of federal stimulus money. Even then, the plan includes projected deficits of at least $2.5 billion in each of the next two years.
* The Indiana State Budget Committee last week requested a new, more accurate revenue forecast for lawmakers to use in a pending special session after April tax revenue fell $255 million short of what had been forecast just one month earlier. […]
* Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire last week signed a two-year budget that closed a $9 billion shortfall by cutting 40 percent in state payments for low-income health coverage, raising state employees’ health care benefits by less than half the rate of inflation and reducing per-student education allocations. […]
* In Oregon, where the projected shortfall of $3.8 billion is equal to nearly a third of the overall budget, Democratic lawmakers proposed a 2009-11 budget that would eliminate 1,700 state pensions, cut spending on community colleges and higher education and seek $800 million in new taxes.
New Illinois Gov. Patrick Quinn wants a 50% increase in the income tax rate on the wealthy because this is the “fair” way to close his state’s gaping deficit.
Laffer used Quinn to help make a point about increasing taxes on upper income folks, but he got his facts wrong. Low income people with no dependents would also see higher taxes under Quinn’s original plan. Moderate income folks would also be hit. I suppose if $60,000 a year is considered “wealthy,” then, yes, they and everyone above would have to pay more. Par for the course on the WS-J op-ed page, I suppose.
Terry Barnich, a former Illinois Commerce Commission chairman and chief counsel to former Gov. Jim Thompson, was killed by a bomb Monday while traveling in a convoy in Iraq, friends and family said.
Barnich, 56, was serving as deputy director for the Iraq Transition Assistance Office for the State Department, said his friend Philip O’Connor, a former Commerce Commission chairman who served with him in Iraq. Barnich began work there in January 2007, he said.
A State Department spokeswoman could not confirm the death late Monday. His loved ones said they were notified earlier in the day.
An Associated Press analysis found vacancy rates of 20 percent or more in nearly 40 Illinois census tracts, from Chicago to Rockford to Danville to East St. Louis. The analysis used data from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development, which received it from the U.S. Postal Service.
By 2004, murders dropped below 500. They’ve now bounced back up, and while still below 600, Chicago still has more murders than New York and Los Angeles.
According to academic research, talking to felons for just one hour can be pretty effective. They are 30 percent less likely to go back to prison than those who don’t attend the Project Safe Neighborhoods forum.
